War Priest
'War Priests' War priests blend divine magic with martial skill. War priests can serve as capable healers or provide support while also dispensing punishment from the front lines. Although war priests are often dedicated to a deity, they are above many of the normal rules and conventions of the church. They answer to their deity or their own sense of justice alone, and are willing to take extreme measures to meet their goals. War priests can be dedicated to specific churches, defending them from challenges (both material and spiritual) or adventuring to find lost artifacts. Some war priests become holy avengers who set out to destroy enemies and hunt down heretics. Others still have no connection to any deity and instead devote themselves to the eternal battle between good and evil. The War Priest Quick Build You can make a war priest quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Strength your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom. Some war priests may choose to emphasize Dexterity instead of Strength. Second, choose the Acolyte background. 'Class Features' As a war priest, you gain the following class features. HIT POINTS: Hit Dice: 1d8 per war priest level Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per war priest level after 1st PROFICIENCIES: Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons Tools: None Saving Throws: Strength, Wisdom Skills: Choose two from Athletics, History, Medicine, Perception, Religion, and Survival EQUIPMENT: You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background. * (a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons * (a) five javelins or (b) any simple melee weapon * (a) scale mail or (b) leather, a longbow, and 20 arrows * (a) a priest's pack or (b) a dungeoneer's pack or © an explorer's pack * A holy symbol Spellcasting As a conduit for divine power, you can cast war priest spells, which come from the cleric spell list. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 for the cleric spell list. Cantrips: At 1st level, you know two cantrips of your choice from the cleric spell list. You learn additional war priest cantrips of your choice at 4th and 10th level. Spell Slots: The War Priest table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these war priest spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. For example, if you know the 1st-level spell cure wounds and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast cure wounds using either slot. Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher: You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the cleric spell list. The Spells Known column of the War Priest table shows when you learn more war priest spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the war priest spells you know and replace it with another spell from the cleric spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots. Spellcasting Ability: Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your war priest spells. The power of your spells comes from your devotion to your deity or another divine source. You use your Wisdom whenever a war priest spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a war priest spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one. Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier Spellcasting Focus: You can use a holy symbol (found in chapter 5) as a spellcasting focus for your war priest spells. Sacred Weapon At 2nd level, your combination of martial training and divine power gives you a mastery of a unique form of combat. You gain the following benefits whenever you attack. * You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls for your unarmed strikes or when wielding a melee weapon which doesn't have the two-handed or heavy weapon property. * You can roll a d4 in place of the damage of your unarmed strike or any weapon's normal damage. This die changes as you gain war priest levels, as shown in the Sacred Weapon table below. If the weapon is versatile or two-handed, you can instead use the second number in parenthesis as your damage die. Extra Attack Starting at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Sacred Strike Starting at 6th leveI, your unarmed strikes and any weapon you wield count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.